For the Love of a Seal (Hearts of Valor #3) by Dixie Lee Brown

I had the first two books in this amazing series, and I happily present you its third.

For the Love of a Seal (Hearts of Valor #3) by Dixie Lee Brown, a romantic suspense.

The
security company that former SEAL Blake Sorenson works for helps him stay in
fighting form—physically and mentally. He has little time for distractions of
the female variety, which is fine with him. His fickle ex-wife taught him that
love and loyalty don’t mix. Which is why he should eighty-six the rookie
reporter he finds in his helicopter. The sexy stowaway in red stilettos is sure
to be trouble. . .

A single mom, Tori Michaels can’t afford to lose her job because of an impossibly arrogant ex-sailor. But hitching a ride with Blake puts her right in the middle of a conflict brewing between the law and a dangerous hate group. When suspicions are raised over which side Tori is on, Blake has to choose whether to trust in her innocence or lose her. But in choosing to protect her, he’s making himself vulnerable to a desire he thought he’d never feel again—and an enemy he doesn’t see coming. . .

White-knuckled,
heart-pounding, mind-numbing fear had a choke hold on her throat. Tori hated helicopters. She
definitely hadn’t thought this through when she followed Blake and jumped in
with him as he was about to take off. Her brain had misfired at the prospect of
losing her job and the trickle-down effect that would have on her life…and the
life of her six-year-old son.

Having been a
stay-at-home mom since Isaiah was born, proud owner of a journalism degree but
no work experience, it’d been unimaginably difficult to land a job. Within
weeks of discovering the untenable financial position she’d been left in when
her husband died, the bank had foreclosed on her house. Options were a thing of
the past. She’d needed a job, even a temporary one. It didn’t matter that her
new boss had a preset interview list or that he would accept nothing less,
because there was a chance, however small, she’d be hired on in a permanent
position if she performed in a manner that exceeded her boss’s expectations.

If she didn’t find
a way to change Blake Sorenson’s mind, she could kiss that possibility goodbye.
Even her temporary position would be in danger, with small likelihood she’d
land other employment before she was evicted from her rental house, putting her
and Isaiah out on the street. She couldn’t let that happen.

The helicopter
leveled off, and Tori’s stomach finally caught up to the rest of her. She
swallowed hard, willing her breakfast to stay down as she focused on the
horizon. They were headed east, into the morning sun, and if the miles of dense
timber below were any indication, they were somewhere over the Siskiyou
National Forest.

Suddenly, the
gravity of her situation hit her full force. She had no idea where they were
going…or how long they’d be there. The man she was with was a total stranger,
and first impressions hadn’t exactly won her a place in his heart. What if he’d
allowed her to stay onboard only to teach her a lesson? Would he drop her at
his first stop, abandoning her to find another way home? Perhaps it was what
she deserved, and she wouldn’t really blame him, but the realization she was at
his mercy put a damper on her determination.

Uncertainty
ratcheting her tension, she glanced toward him, only to find him facing her,
his jaw set in a hard line. The sunglasses he wore hid whatever he was
thinking, except for the serious frown creasing his

forehead. Tori caught her bottom
lip between her teeth as she swung toward the front again.

Blake’s warm
chuckle came through her headset. “Are you all right? You’re looking a little
green. You’re not going to puke on me, are you?”

Oh God, I
hope not. “I
don’t think so. I’m sorry. Not a fan.”

“Of what?
Flying?” This time he issued a full belly laugh. “You could have fooled me.” He
leaned toward her until she looked at him. “You do remember coming along on
this flight was your idea, right?”

“Yeah, that
decision might have been just a tiny bit too spontaneous.” Tori couldn’t help
laughing. When she looked toward him again, a grin teased his lips. “I’m sorry.
I don’t know what I was thinking.” Seemed she couldn’t stop apologizing either.
In fact, since the second she’d laid eyes on the exceptionally attractive Blake
Sorenson, her brain had failed to engage before opening her mouth. Resisting
the urge to slap her palm to her face, she shrugged. “You could have kicked me
out. Why didn’t you?”

“Could have, I
guess. Too late now, though. This is a round trip—in case you were wondering.”

Though she
couldn’t see his eyes behind his dark glasses, something about his rugged features
kept her from looking away. His words, and the sincerity with which he’d
uttered them, eased her uncertainty, but she was still curious. “You didn’t
answer my question. Why’d you let me tag along?”

It sounded like
he might have sworn as he returned his attention to the controls. “I make it a
rule to get to know every
woman
I come across wearing red stilettos.”

Author Bio

Dixie Lee Brown lives and writes in Central Oregon, inspired by gorgeous scenery and three hundred sunny days a year. Having moved from South Dakota as a child to Washington, Montana and then to Oregon, she feels at home in the west. She resides with two dogs and a cat, who are currently all the responsibility she can handle. Dixie works fulltime as a bookkeeper. When she’s not writing or working, she loves to read, enjoy movies, and if it were possible, she’d spend all of her time at the beach. She is also the author of the Trust No One romantic suspense series, published by Avon Impulse.